Impact of heartfulness meditation on psychophysiological parameters among medical students

TL;DR

Heartfulness meditation helps medical students reduce stress and improve physiological balance, showing quick benefits after a single session.

Contribution

Demonstrates immediate physiological and psychological benefits of Heartfulness meditation in first-year medical students.

Findings

Nearly 90% of students experienced deep relaxation after the meditation session.

Significant reductions in pulse and respiratory rates were observed (p < 0.001).

Abstract

The shift from school to medical college is a demanding phase, during which many first-year MBBS students encounter stress, emotional
strain and physiological imbalance that can hinder academic performance and personal well-being. In response, the Indian National Medical
Commission has integrated yoga and meditation practices into the Foundation Course under the Competency-Based Medical Education framework
to promote resilience and holistic growth. Hence, a cross-sectional observational study was conducted at GSVM Medical College, Kanpur,
across five student cohorts, where participants engaged in a single 20-25-minute Heartfulness meditation session with yogic transmission.
Following the intervention, nearly 90% of students experienced deep relaxation and statistically significant reductions (p < 0.001) in
pulse and respiratory rates were observed, indicating immediate physiological and psychological benefits.